1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to zooming operation performed by an imaging apparatus.
2. Related Art
Zooming operation performed by an imaging apparatus includes optical zooming and electronic zooming (also called digital zooming). In general, optical zooming less degrades image quality than electronic zooming. Optical zooming is, however, in principle incapable of shifting the center of an image in zoom-in operation. To shift the center of an image in zoom-in operation, electronic zooming needs to be performed to enlarge an image or a camera body needs to be moved as described in JP-A-10-229515 and JP-A-2005-311926.
Available mechanisms for moving a camera body are complicated or expensive and therefore inadequate to be used in some cases. Further, when the imaging apparatus is a digital camera or any other apparatus grasped by a user's hand, the user himself/herself may move the imaging apparatus to shift the center of an image, whereas when the imaging apparatus is not held by a user, it may be cumbersome to move the imaging apparatus in some cases.